Choosing the Right Blogging Platform

So you want to start blogging. That’s great! But where do you even start? The first question to ask yourself is which platform you’re going to use. There are so many choices out there, and some definitely make more sense than other. Together, we’ll go through the most popular one, and you can make a choice on your own.

Hosted WordPress

What is hosted WordPress? It’s a website that you “rent” from wordpress.com for free. You’ll get a space of the internet, but it isn’t yours, and you can’t customize it as much as you want. There are tons of upgrades you can pay for, but if you really want to take your WordPress site to the next level, a self-hosted site would be better.

The Pros?

It’s free.

Easy to set up.

Maintenance is taken care of by WordPress.

You can do some simple customizations.

The Cons?

Not very customizable.

You can’t monetize your blog with ads.

You’ll have to pay a lot more if you want premium features.

No optimized for search engines

Who is it for? First-time bloggers who want to start writing and not care about the technical issues. It’s very easy to set up and get going.

Self-Hosted WordPress

Of all the options, this is my favorite. No, this option isn’t free, but if you plan to be serious about blogging, it’s the option that gives you the most freedom. Can choose your own domain, your hosting, customize your theme, install plugins, and widget, etc. This is the most flexible option out there that gives you all the power over your website. This time, you’re not “renting” space on the internet, you own it. Nobody can take it away from you.

The Pros

Freedom.

Customizable.

You own it.

You can monetize your blog however you want.

Search engines optimized (if you know how to).

The Cons?

A monthly fee for the domain name and your hosting. (Usually around $12/year for the domain name and $5/month for hosting)

A bit harder to set up if you don’t know much about the tech side.

You have to maintain your own blog, which means updating the plugins and making sure your website is protected.

Who is this for? Bloggers who want to take their blogs to the next level, be taken seriously and make money out of them. A self-hosted WordPress site offers a lot more flexibility and credibility than any other platform.

Blogger

Blogger is the Google version of a hosted WordPress site. You “rent” your space from them, but you’ll never own it. The customization is limited, but you can monetize your blog with Google Adsense. Since your Blogger site will be connected to a Google email, you can also connect it to your ad account.

The Pros?

It’s free.

Easy to set up.

You can use your own domain name if you have one.

You can choose a free template and lightly customize it.

You can monetize your blog with Adsense ads.

The Cons?

Google owns it. The day they decide to shut down Blogger, you’ll lose everything.

Not very customizable.

Who is it for? The bloggers who aren’t tech-savvy, but still want a blog with their own domain name and/or the option to monetize it with Adsense.

SquareSpace

SquareSpace is a website builder like no other, as it only offers paid options to its clients. This means that whoever is going to go with them is going to pay a monthly fee, but will also have access to a range of premium themes that are well worth it. Your website will look like a thousand bucks when you only pay $8/month.

The Pros?

Looks professional.

Drag-and-drop makes it easy to build and customize your website.

Easy to integrate an e-commerce store.

SEO optimized (if you know how to).

Fast Support.

The Cons?

No free options.

You don’t own the website.

You can’t fully customize it.

Who is this for? Bloggers who would like to take their blog to the next step, but aren’t very good at making their websites look good or don’t want to take care of the hosting part.

There are many more options, of course, but these are the basic ones. You can always go with Tumblr or Wix or Weebly, each having their pros and cons, but if you really want to take your blogging seriously, I can only recommend a self-hosted WordPress site.

Don’t worry, I know how overwhelming it can be the have control over EVERYTHING. That’s why my blog is here: to help you navigate this unknown and scary world!

Keep Reading!

Virginie

Virginie is the founder of CityGirl's Design, a web design company that helps thriving entrepreneurs grow their business by providing them with a website that converts hesitant clients and attracts new ones. If she’s not behind her computer, you can find her hanging out on the beach, either reading a good book or transforming into a mermaid!Learn More >

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